Coal barge



I Npv. 19, 1935."

A. c LEIGH COAL BARGE Filed March 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 8 Z L 2 t/ ,I II Ill. 1 7 v 2/ 0/ 2 klllrl 0 V INVENTOR 14.41;)? qh j I j ATTORNEY? A. C. LEIGH COAL BARGE Nov. 19, 1935.

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS m all. h if J W n .m E 1' A T .5 u: 1 df F .IFFIIEIIIIF Patented Nov. 19, 1935 Alfred C. Leigh,

ham, Ala., asslgnor to 1' Birming e Ingalls Iron Works Company, a corpora-- tion of Delaware Application March 2, 1935, Serial No. 9,053

1 Claim. (Cl. 114-26) My invention relates to barges of the type more particularly suited for the shipment of coal and which are known to the trade generally as coal barges. These barges are of metal construction and as heretofore built have comprised two peak water-tight compartments and a midship body section consisting only of suitably braced side plates all riveted together. In such barges, should damage occur along the sides, water would immediately enter the hull, causing the barge with its cargo to sink, as the two peak compartments do not have sufiicient displacement to float the barge under such conditions.

The objects of my present invention are so to change the design of the mid-body section of the barge as to form its sides of box girders, enclosed water tight by the gunnel coaming and bottom, side and hopper plating, whereby I not only stifien and reinforce the hull but, what is of greater importance, I provide water-tight side compartments which may be subdivided by water-tight cross-partitions within box girders to aiford an added factor of safety, whereby ample displacement is provided to float the loaded barge in the event of any injury not such as to admit water directly into its hold.

My invention has in contemplation the provision of hopper plating which, both for the peak and side compartments, is carried down to th bottom plating and welded thereto.

My invention further contemplates notching the top flanges of the bottom beams and the bottom edge of the'side hopper plates so that the plates can extend to the bottom plating and the joints there and about the beams can be readily welded to make the side compartments watertight.

My invention further contemplates stopping at the side hopper plates those bottom beams that come opposite the internal partitions in the side compartments so that the latter can be formed by plates conforming to the internal cross-sectional contour of the side compartments and welded thereto, whereby I can simply and cheaply subdivide the compartments formed in the box girders.

My invention relies upon the peculiar advan tages of a welded construction as contrasted with a riveted construction to enable my improved type of barge to be produced with its added box girder stiflening and its double-walled mid-body sides without unduly increasing its cost, either for labor or material, in any degree comparable with the advantages it affords in respect 'of the strength and durability of the barge and the safety factor for barge and contents against loss by sinking. v

My invention in its preferred embodiment is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is more fully pointed out and particular- 1y claimed in the following specification and claim.

According to the drawings:-

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side views respectively of a standard coal barge modified to embody my present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line III-1II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmental view on the same scale as Fig. 2 taken through one side of the barge on the line IV-IV 01 Fig. 1, and illustrates a partion for subdividing a side water-tight compartment.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a peak compartment taken on the line V--V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a corner of the barge showing the bottom framing with the wooden dunnage omitted;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental view taken on the line VIIVII of Fig. 3 showing the manner in which the hopper side plates are slotted and fitted over the notched bottom beams and welded thereto and to the bottom plates; and

Fig. 8 is a detail view oi. one of the bottom beams showing the notchout in its top flange to receive the slotted hopper side plates.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated,

I show a standard type of barge which comprises bottom plates In with suitable lap welded joints extending throughout the entire mid-body section and up the ends to form the bottoms of the two water-tight peak compartments ll, one of which is illustrated in cross section in Fig. 5. Suitable structural framing is' provided for these peak compartments, comprising the curved bottom anglesl2 welded to the bottom plates and cross braced by the angles I3 to the hopper side angles l4 and the top angles l5.

Top plates l6 enclose the peak compartments ll overhead and sloping hopper side plates l I are welded to the angles H, to the top plate l6, and at their bottom edges, to the bottom plates Ill below the wooden dunnage l8 which is supported upon the top flanges I9 01' the bottom cross beams 20 which have their lower edges welded to the bottom plates l0. Plates 2| are welded to the top and bottom compartment walls to close the joint overhead and the bottom, top

and hopper side angles are welded at their ends to suitable gussets. The top, bottom and hopper side plates are welded to the side plates 25 of the barge.

The side wall construction of the mid-body section of the barge, with which my invention is more particularly concerned, is illustrated in Fig.

3, wherein I show in cross section the side box girders which provide the longitudinal side stifl-' eners for the barge, and also provide for the formation of the side,compartments that protect 5 the barge. The box girders which are duplicate on each side comprise the outer side plates 25 which are lapped and welded to each other and at their ends bent inwardly to provide a bottom flange 26 which is welded to the bottom plates of the barge and the top flange 21, which forms the gunnel coaming and is welded to an intumed angle at the top of the upper hopper side plate 18.

These side plates are welded to each other and the bottom side plate 28 is provided with slots 29 on centers corresponding to the spacing of the bottom cross beams 20, the top flange of these beams being notched out as shown at 30 in Fig. 8, so that the slots along the bottom of the plate can be slipped down over the vertical leg of the the box girders to brace same, the frames comprising outer angles 3| and inner angles 32, welded overhead to a top gusset plate 33, welded below to the adjacent beam 20, and having an intermediate cross brace 34. The frames, when thus welded to the side and hopper plates and connected to the coaming and the bottom beams, produce not only box girder constructions which extend continuously throughout the mid-body section, but they also provide water-tight side compartments and thus produce, in effect, a metallic coal barge having its end pontoons connected by water-tight side box girders.

It is preferable to subdivide the side compartments by the interposition of water-tight transverse partitions 35, (see Fig. 4), and preferably where these partitions are interposed the shorter bottom beams 36 are used, which stop at the hopper side plates and are welded thereto. The partition plates are shaped to conform to the internal cross section of the box girder, and they are welded throughout their marginal edges,

.thus affording a water-tight partition and a solid transverse plate brace for the box girder.

The dunnage boards l8 are laid on the top flanges I! of the bottom beams lengthwise of the barge in the manner well understood in this art.

The hopper side plating and gunnel coaming are welded at each end to the vertical walls 31 of the compartments 38 giving access through hatches 39 to the interior of the box girders. The side plating runs continuously from end to end of the barge, forming the side walls of compartments l6 and 38 and being suitably braced throughout. When such hopper and shell plating is formed continuous with, or welded to, the gunnel coaming and the bottom plating, I form enclosed cross braced longitudinal water-tight 5 box girders whichwill greatly stiffen and protect the barge. Water-tight doors 39 permit access to the subdivided compartments in the box girders. Having constructed a barge in accordance with .the foregoing description, should an injury oc- 10 our at any point along either side of the barge which would permit water to enter the shell plating, this water will flnd its way into one of the water-tight compartments but, having gained access thereto; it cannot enter the cargo space of 15 the barge unless the damage'has been of so serious a nature as to open the hopper side walls 28 or to break the welded joint between the latter and the bottom plates or beams.

The partitions 35 in the side compartments 20 will localize the space to which water thus admitted will gain access, leaving an ample margin -of displacement in the undamaged side compartments' and the end pontoons to float the barge in its damaged condition and thus save 5 and protect its cargo.

The application of the welded joints for the water-tight assembling of the beams, plating, and side and end frames affords such an economical method of manufacture, and lends itself with pe- 30 culiar fltness tothe production of the water-tight side and peak compartments, that it enables the water-tight side box girder construction contemplated in my invention to be produced with its accompanying advantages at a cost comparable 5 with that of the present standard unprotected coal barge construction.

Obviously the gunnel coaming may be formed separately from either side plating of the box girders or by a flange integral with either side 40 plating. Also, the bottom and shell plating may be connected in any manner well understood in this art.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art 45 that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are 50 specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A metal barge hull construction comprising water-tight peak compartments, and an interposed mid-body section comprising bottom and side shell plating. gunnel coaming, side framing and hopper side plating that is welded to the gunnel coaming, the peak compartments and the bottom plating to form water tight side compartments in combination with bottom beams, part of which pass through the hopper side plating with a welded watertight joint and part terminate at said hopper side plating, the watertight side compartments having plate separators welded therein opposite said beams that termio5 nate at the hopper and adapted to subdivide the side compartments into a plurality of separate watertight compartments.-

ALFRED c. LEIGH. 

